Flue gas desulfurization systems are typically used in coal fired power plants, waste-to-energy plants and in incinerators. A typical desulfurization system will include a processing or treatment chamber wherein flue gases are subjected to desulfurization treatment. Positioned inside that chamber is a high speed rotating atomizer wheel through which desulfurization treatment slurry is dispersed into the chamber and the gas therein in order to initiate the desulfurization process. Typically, the atomizer wheels are circular with a circumferential sidewall that includes wear insert openings that project through the circumferential sidewall. Typically, the atomizer wheels are between eight and fourteen inches in diameter.
Such a desulfurization system might typically be powered by drive systems that include motors in the 160 to 1100 horsepower range that rotate the atomizer wheels at speeds of 8,800-10,000 rpm and upwards to 15,000 rpm. While these wheels are rapidly rotating at these very high speeds, a slurry treatment mixture, typically of water, lime and other inert materials of upwards to 20%-40% solids, is fed into the wheels at rates ranging typically between 20-150 gallons per minute. Replacement of any parts within these wheels requires shutting down and/or bypassing the reactor chamber in which the atomizer is located, removing the atomizer from the reactor chamber, installing a different atomizer into that atomizer chamber, removing the atomizer wheel from the atomizer, allowing the atomizer head to cool, and then disassembling the atomizer head to gain access to the worn part(s) that need(s) to be replaced. This is a laborious task and time consuming. In order to maintain EPA guidelines, these atomizer wheels must be operated on a continuous basis to prevent harmful sulfur components of the flue gas from escaping into the atmosphere. Thus, downtime for pulling atomizers out of service for parts replacement must be minimized.
A typical atomizer wheel that is the subject of the improvement of the present invention is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,375. Atomizer wheels of a similar type are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,310; U.S. Re. Pat. No. 30,963; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,075.
Atomizer systems are composed of several dozen parts, some replaceable, some stationary, some movable and/or critical to the operation of the atomizer system. In addition to the atomizer wheel, the atomizer system includes an atomizer motor and a gear box, each of which may contain hundreds of parts. Keeping track of the existence and/or status of hundreds of parts within a group of atomizer systems is not only a complex task, but virtually impossible with currently available systems. Because of the number of parts involved, and the importance of maintaining 100% availability of the atomizer systems, the inventorying and managing of such parts has become more and more important.
Taking inventory of any type of article is a time-consuming and difficult task that must be done in all industries. To simplify the inventory process, many systems have been developed for marking serial numbers on parts that use metal etching, metal stamping, chemical etching and laser marking to track components within a system of atomizers. However, these systems suffer from significant limitations, including a line-of-sight requirement for accurate readings, no permanency for marking part numbers which often wear away, space limitations on parts for marking identification numbers, parts being made of materials unsuitable for marking due to surface characteristics and part numbers concealed during use with other parts. Inspection of atomizer parts is both inefficient and risky, requiring separation and reassembly of numerous assemblies within the atomizer, which may affect tolerances and operability of the reconstructed assemblies over time. The inventors recognized the problems associated with the background art, and conceived the preferred embodiments at least partly in response thereto. All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.